Optical connector

Abstract

An optical connector includes an optical transceiver having an optical element, a case that covers the optical element, and a plurality of terminals that are externally protruded from a terminal projecting surface of the case, and a connector housing having a housing chamber that houses the optical transceiver. The terminal projecting surface of the case is formed as a flat reference plane. A surface which forms the housing chamber and to which the terminal projecting surface of the case abuts is formed as a flat position-correction surface. A pair of projections are formed on a surface which forms the housing chamber and which is opposite to the position-correction surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An optical connector, comprising:
 an optical transceiver having an optical element, a case that covers the optical element, and a plurality of terminals that are externally protruded from a terminal projecting surface of the case; and 
 a connector housing having a housing chamber that houses the optical transceiver, wherein 
 the terminal projecting surface of the case is formed as a flat reference plane, 
 a surface which forms the housing chamber and to which the terminal projecting surface of the case abuts is formed as a flat position-correction surface, and 
 a projection is formed on a surface which forms the housing chamber and which is opposite to a side from which the surface to which the terminal projecting surface of the case abuts, the projection is compressively deformable such that the projection abuts a top surface of the case and presses the terminal projecting surface of the case against the flat position-correction surface, 
 wherein the terminal proiecting surface of the case is pressed against the position-correction surface of the housing chamber of the connector housing by a returning deformation force of the projection such that the optical transceiver is housed in the connector housing in a position corrected state and a positional displacement of the optical transceiver in a rotation direction with respect to the connector housing is prevented by the returning deformation force of the projection. 
 
     
     
       2. The optical connector according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the terminals are arranged at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the terminal projecting surface, and 
 in a state that the connector housing is mounted on a mounting substrate, tip ends of the terminals are surface contacted to the mounting substrate and are surface mounted. 
 
     
     
       3. The optical connector according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the housing chamber of the connector housing is provided with an opening at a face opposite to a side from which a counterpart connector is mounted, and the optical transceiver is inserted into the housing chamber from the opening. 
 
     
     
       4. The optical connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical transceiver includes sleeves having ferrule insertion holes, and spherical lenses fixed to the ferrule insertion hole inside each of the sleeves. 
     
     
       5. The optical connector according to  claim 4 , wherein each of the sleeves has a slit extending in the direction of an axis of the sleeve. 
     
     
       6. The optical connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the flat position-correction surface comprises a bottom face of the housing chamber. 
     
     
       7. The optical connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the projection is formed on a ceiling surface of the housing chamber of the connector housing. 
     
     
       8. The optical connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the projection comprises a pair of projections formed on the ceiling surface of the housing chamber of the connector housing. 
     
     
       9. The optical connector according to  claim 8 , wherein pair of projections are provided at left-right symmetrical positions in the width direction of the housing chamber. 
     
     
       10. The optical connector according to  claim 8 , wherein the optical transceiver is provided in inserted relation into the housing chamber from an opening on a rear side of the housing chamber of the connector housing such that the pair of projections abut a top face of the case and thereby cause the terminal projecting surface of the case to abut the position-correction surface. 
     
     
       11. The optical connector according to  claim 10 , wherein the pair of projections abut the top face of the case causing compression deformation of the pair of projections such that the terminal projecting surface of the case is pressed against the position-correction surface of the housing chamber of the connector housing. 
     
     
       12. The optical connector according to  claim 11 , wherein, the terminal projecting surface of the case is pressed against the position-correction surface of the housing chamber of the connector housing by a returning deformation force of the pair of projections provided on the ceiling surface of the housing chamber of the connector housing. 
     
     
       13. The optical connector according to  claim 12 , wherein, the terminal projecting surface of the case is pressed against the position-correction surface of the housing chamber of the connector housing by the returning deformation force of the pair of projections provided on the ceiling surface of the housing chamber of the connector housing such that the optical transceiver is housed in the connector housing in the position corrected state and the positional displacement of the optical transceiver in the rotation direction with respect to the connector housing is prevented by the returning deformation force of the pair of projection portions. 
     
     
       14. The optical connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the positional displacement of the optical transceiver in a rotation direction with respect to the connector housing is prevented such that bottom faces of the plurality of terminals are positioned on the same plane and mounting accuracy of the optical connector on a mounting substrate is improved. 
     
     
       15. The optical connector according to  claim 1 , wherein, the projection presses the terminal projecting surface of the case over a whole area of the position-correction surface of the housing chamber of the connector housing. 
     
     
       16. The optical connector according to  claim 15 , wherein, the projection comprises a single wide projection provided at a central position in the lateral direction of the housing. 
     
     
       17. The optical connector according to  claim 15 , wherein, the projection comprises three or more projections.